Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to medical devices and methods of using and manufacturing the same. More particularly, the disclosure relates to orthopedic devices used to secure implants or other materials to bone. The disclosure also relates to methods for using and manufacturing orthopedic fixation devices.
Description of the Related Art
Knee and hip arthroplasties, as well as other joint replacement surgeries, are becoming increasingly prevalent in our aging society. In joint replacement surgeries, orthopedic implant devices are often used to replace joints that have degenerated, for example, due to traumatic injury or arthritis. Many orthopedic implants, such as the tibial component of a total knee prosthesis, are fixed in the patient by means of an intramedullary stem. Such a stem has certain drawbacks. For example, surgical insertion of an intramedullary stem requires reaming out the medullary cavity of a bone. Such an invasive procedure can cause damage and/or loss of bone stock and bone density in already weakened bones and can result in long recovery times. Moreover, the stems are typically cemented in place, introducing polymer bone cements into the human body. The long-term biocompatibility of these polymer cements has not been fully established. Additionally, fixating an implant in this manner does not correspond with the natural loading, bone growth and bone remodeling mechanisms of the human body. Consequently, the bone stem can loosen over time and may result in implant failure.
To move away from implants having intramedullary stems, an alternative fixation mechanism must be provided. One option is to fixate joint implants to bone using orthopedic bone screws. However, currently available bone screws do not create sufficient force to provide for the long-term fixation of joint implants to bone. Consequently, a need exists for an improved implant fixation device.